Online Review: Ne-Yo @ Hammersmith Apollo
Artist:
Ne-Yo
More often than not, he is cited as the pen behind some of the scene’s biggest hits, but now with two UK number ones under his belt, Ne-Yo can be considered an R&B superstar in his own right – and the turnout out London’s Hammersmith Apollo proved that.
Packed to the rafters, the audience was buzzing as support act Taio Cruz took to the stage. Running through hit singles I Just Wanna Know, Moving On, I Can Be, and current smash She’s Like A Star; Cruz more than warmed up an already excited crowd before finishing with a ‘thrilling’ version of Come On Girl. Whilst the band’s breakout into Michael Jackson’s Thriller in the middle of the track worked well, Taio’s rigid dance skills wouldn’t have troubled Stephen Hawkins on the dancefloor, let alone the king of pop himself.
Taio Cruz was soon replaced on stage by a suited and booted troop of musicians which signalled that Ne-Yo would soon be before us. Inspired by current album Year Of The Gentleman, the chivalrous attire of the band was slightly let down by the DJ who rather than looking like a gentleman, came off more as some sort of fake Fatman Scoop as he hyped the gathered masses for Ne-Yo’s arrival. Cue screaming (lots of screaming!) as the main man himself slid to the centre of the stage flanked by four lycra-clad females.
Before long the singer who turns 30 next month sang his first number one So Sick with the majority of the crowd on backing vocals. Ne-Yo then ran through various tracks from his three albums whilst his four dancers gyrated in some pretty compromising positions – let’s just say at one point during Say It one of the dancer’s movements could have rivalled China’s Olympic gold medal winning women’s gymnastic team!
After a brief interlude whilst Fakeman Scoop span a few records, Ne-Yo returned, still in his matching waistcoat and fedora hat to perform Sexy Love - again sung back to him word for word by the audience. He then gave a shout out to former label boss Jay-Z before singing their collaboration Crazy (sans-Jigga). Ne-Yo then decided to remind the following about the hits that he'd written and featured on for others as the DJ ran through Rihanna’s Hate That I Love You and Take A Bow, Beyonce’s Irreplaceable, Fabolous’ Make It Better and Plies’ Bust It Baby which left the (quite young it has to be said) audience chanting ‘Ne-Yo! Ne-Yo!’
Whilst Ne-Yo went to change his attire for a brighter, whiter Daz fresh; hat and shirt combo, his band jammed to Wheezy’s A Millie, Jeezy’s Put On and Kanyeezy’s Can’t Tell Me Nothin’. Returning for the final leg of the show, Ne-Yo performed new single Miss Independent (have you heard the remix with Jamie Foxx and Fabolous? Big tune!), before closing the night with the title track from his last album Because Of You and his recent number one, the dance-driven Closer. Que a much appreciated encore of the Jackoesque Nobody from the latest album, before giving the crowd a rare look at his (thank god) ever covered head and that was it. Thousands of fans went home happy. The end.
Miss Independent is out Septmeber 29. Year Of The Gentleman is out now.
defjam.co.uk/neyo
More often than not, he is cited as the pen behind some of the scene’s biggest hits, but now with two UK number ones under his belt, Ne-Yo can be considered an R&B superstar in his own right – and the turnout out London’s Hammersmith Apollo proved that.
Packed to the rafters, the audience was buzzing as support act Taio Cruz took to the stage. Running through hit singles I Just Wanna Know, Moving On, I Can Be, and current smash She’s Like A Star; Cruz more than warmed up an already excited crowd before finishing with a ‘thrilling’ version of Come On Girl. Whilst the band’s breakout into Michael Jackson’s Thriller in the middle of the track worked well, Taio’s rigid dance skills wouldn’t have troubled Stephen Hawkins on the dancefloor, let alone the king of pop himself.
Taio Cruz was soon replaced on stage by a suited and booted troop of musicians which signalled that Ne-Yo would soon be before us. Inspired by current album Year Of The Gentleman, the chivalrous attire of the band was slightly let down by the DJ who rather than looking like a gentleman, came off more as some sort of fake Fatman Scoop as he hyped the gathered masses for Ne-Yo’s arrival. Cue screaming (lots of screaming!) as the main man himself slid to the centre of the stage flanked by four lycra-clad females.
Before long the singer who turns 30 next month sang his first number one So Sick with the majority of the crowd on backing vocals. Ne-Yo then ran through various tracks from his three albums whilst his four dancers gyrated in some pretty compromising positions – let’s just say at one point during Say It one of the dancer’s movements could have rivalled China’s Olympic gold medal winning women’s gymnastic team!
After a brief interlude whilst Fakeman Scoop span a few records, Ne-Yo returned, still in his matching waistcoat and fedora hat to perform Sexy Love - again sung back to him word for word by the audience. He then gave a shout out to former label boss Jay-Z before singing their collaboration Crazy (sans-Jigga). Ne-Yo then decided to remind the following about the hits that he'd written and featured on for others as the DJ ran through Rihanna’s Hate That I Love You and Take A Bow, Beyonce’s Irreplaceable, Fabolous’ Make It Better and Plies’ Bust It Baby which left the (quite young it has to be said) audience chanting ‘Ne-Yo! Ne-Yo!’
Whilst Ne-Yo went to change his attire for a brighter, whiter Daz fresh; hat and shirt combo, his band jammed to Wheezy’s A Millie, Jeezy’s Put On and Kanyeezy’s Can’t Tell Me Nothin’. Returning for the final leg of the show, Ne-Yo performed new single Miss Independent (have you heard the remix with Jamie Foxx and Fabolous? Big tune!), before closing the night with the title track from his last album Because Of You and his recent number one, the dance-driven Closer. Que a much appreciated encore of the Jackoesque Nobody from the latest album, before giving the crowd a rare look at his (thank god) ever covered head and that was it. Thousands of fans went home happy. The end.
Miss Independent is out Septmeber 29. Year Of The Gentleman is out now.
defjam.co.uk/neyo
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